About 3 in 5 people with soft palate cancer live for at least 5 years if they receive a diagnosis and treatment before the cancer spreads. Several factors can affect survival and life expectancy.

Soft palate cancer is a type of oropharyngeal cancer. It occurs when cancerous cells grow in thin, flat cells (squamous cells) in the soft palate at the upper back of your mouth.

The earliest symptoms of soft palate cancer may appear as lumps or soreness in your soft palate. Seeking treatment and diagnosis when you first notice symptoms may improve your outlook by several years.

As with any other throat or oral cancer, the outlook and quality of life you can expect declines the longer you wait to get treatment.

Read on to learn more about the survival rates, life expectancy, and quality of life associated with soft palate cancer.

The 5-year relative survival rate for oropharyngeal cancers like soft palate cancer is around 52% at all stages.

This means that just over half of people with soft palate cancer will be alive 5 years after diagnosis when compared to people who don’t have soft palate cancer.

The survival rate depends on how far it’s spread from where it started:

  • 59% for localized cancer, meaning it hasn’t spread beyond the soft palate
  • 62% for regional cancer, meaning it has spread to tissues near the soft palate or into your nearby lymph nodes
  • 29% for distant cancer, meaning it has spread throughout your body to other organs, such as your lungs

It’s unclear why the survival rate for regional cancer is higher than for localized cancer, but it may be due to the small number of cases that make up the data.

Keep in mind that these numbers are averages and don’t necessarily take into account when you get treatment and what types of treatments you get to help stop the spread of soft palate cancer.

According to a 2018 study of 4,366 people with soft palate cancer, overall survival was 68.7 months (5 years, 8.7 months). However, in people who died specifically from soft palate cancer (and not from other causes), survival was 161.3 months (13 years, 5.3 months).

Your life expectancy with soft palate cancer depends on a few factors:

  • when you receive a diagnosis
  • how far the cancer has spread before you get treatment
  • the treatments you receive
  • your sex assigned at birth
  • other health issues that might affect your life expectancy, such as diabetes, heart disease, or lung disease

Some of the common treatments for soft palate cancer have a significant effect on your life expectancy, including:

Your quality of life also depends on how soon you receive a diagnosis and treatment for soft palate cancer before it starts to spread to nearby tissues or elsewhere in your body.

A small 2021 study of 29 people with soft palate cancer found that surgery to remove cancerous tissue and reconstruct the soft palate can maintain your quality of life, especially concerning your speech and ability to breathe through your nose.

Is soft palate cancer painful?

Soft palate cancer isn’t usually painful at first. You might notice an ulcer that’s tender or uncomfortable, but it won’t cause a lot of pain.

Over time, ulcers can grow in size and become irritated or infected. This can cause ulcers to become very painful without proper treatment or removal.

Some of the factors that can negatively affect your outlook with soft palate cancer include:

  • using tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes
  • drinking alcohol, especially if you drink regularly or drink a high quantity of alcohol
  • having previous exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that can increase your risk of many types of cancers
  • having an autoimmune condition or weakened immune system from medications or conditions like HIV

Soft palate cancer has a high survival rate when people are diagnosed and treated before it spreads from their soft palate into surrounding tissues or lymph nodes.

Your life expectancy and quality of life with soft palate cancer can decrease significantly if it spreads throughout your body or doesn’t receive proper treatment.

With a treatment plan and support, you can have a better quality of life and improve your outlook.